1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for extracting water from clothes, etc. which have been washed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A typical device of this type known in the art is shown in FIG. 17. It is the device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 25594/1964. It includes a main housing not shown, and has a base 1 installed on a floor. A pneumatic cylinder 2 is secured to the base 1 and includes a piston rod having a conical head. A bogie 3 has a plurality of wheels each equipped with a cushion. A cylindrical jacket 4 is open at both of its upper and lower ends and comprises a cylindrical wall having a multiplicity of apertures. extending therethrough. A hydraulic cylinder 5 is secured to the main housing above the jacket 4 and includes a piston rod carrying a pressing disk 6 at its lower end. A pneumatic cylinder 7 is suspended from the main housing by a pin 8 about which it is rotatable. Another pneumatic cylinder 9 is rotatably supported by a pin 10 on the main housing and includes a piston rod hinged to the cylinder 7 by a pin 11. The device further includes another pneumatic cylinder 12 secured to the main housing.
The jacket 4 is placed on the bogie 3 and the clothes or similar articles 13 which have been washed are put into the jacket 4. The bogie 3 is moved onto the base 1 until it engages a stopper not shown. The bogie 3 has a conical recess at its bottom. The pneumatic cylinder 2 is actuated to raise the piston rod and move its conical head into the conical recess of the bogie 3 to hold the bogie 3 in position. Then, the hydraulic cylinder 5 is actuated to lower the pressing disk 6 into the jacket 4 to press the articles 13 against the bogie 3, so that water may be extracted from the articles 13. When the articles 13 are pressed against the bogie 3, the flexure of the cushions on the bogie 3 allows it to rest on the base 1. The piston rod of the cylinder 2 is also lowered, as it is pushed down by the bogie 3.
Then, the pneumatic cylinder 9 is actuated to move the pneumatic cylnder 7 to its vertical position and the cylinder 7 is actuated to lower its piston rod. The jacket 4 has a lug 4a projecting from its outer surface. The piston rod of the cylinder 7 which has been lowered is engaged with the lug 4a. Then, the hydraulic cylinder 5 is actuated to raise the pressing disk 6 slightly to facilitate the movement of the jacket 4 relative to the articles 13. When the pressing disk 6 has been raised, the bogie 3 is moved away from the base 1 by the cushions. Then, the pneumatic cylinder 7 is actuated to raise the jacket 4 until its lower end reaches a level of height which is equal to, or slightly above, that of the pressing disk 6.
Then, the pneumatic cylinder 12 is actuated to advance its piston rod and thereby push the articles 13 away from the bogie 3. After its piston rod has been retracted, the pneumatic cylinder 7 is actuated to lower the jacket 4 onto the bogie 3 and its piston rod is disengaged from the lug 4a on the jacket 4. After the cylinder 7 has been actuated to raise its piston rod, the cylinder 9 is actuated to return the cylinder 7 to its inclined position as shown in FIG. 17. At the same time, the hydraulic cylinder 5 is actuated to raise the pressing disk 6 to a level above the jacket 4. The device is now ready to receive another bogie and another jacket filled with new articles to be dried.
FIG. 18 is a graph showing by way of example the relation between the length of time for which pressure is applied to the articles to be dried in the device as hereinabove described and the amount of pressure which the articles receive. A hydraulic fluid is supplied from a source not shown to the hydraulic cylinder 5 to cause the pressing disk 6 to press the articles 13. The articles which have been washed contain large amounts of water and air. In the absence of any sufficient preliminary compression, the water or air which the articles contain has a sudden rise in pressure and damages the articles.
The device is used for drying a wide variety of articles, including clothes, bed sheets, towels and bathrobes, made of different materials, such as 100% cotton and a mixture of cotton and synthetic fibers. The life of the articles depends on the way in which pressure is applied thereto to extract water therefrom, and the optimum pressure application differs from one kind of article to another. This difference is, however, not taken into account by any conventional device.